The Hell in the Hills
by Tank Christianson
Summary: An ongoing saga told from the perspective of Stephen, a miner who has to survive the horrors above ground, and below it.
1. Chapter I

STEVE'S JOURNAL

_Day 1_

I have never kept a journal before. So as warning to to whomever may read this; please excuse my rough freehand and choppy grammar. A miner doesn't make for much of a writer.

The sun is setting and I have made camp. I have a fine fire going and felt this would make an opportune time to make the first entry in this journal.

As I have just stated, I have never felt the need to keep a journal. So I find myself at a loss on how to begin one. I suppose there is no real wrong way to go about it, so I'll just start.

This journal is meant to be a log of my work in the Mojang Mountains.

Unfortunately, I found myself being scolded by my boss, Eddard Nedson, for getting into one too many fights. I was living at the mine back home, and you need to be tough to have fighting chance when living with men who condemn themselves to such a living. I had just started a near riot after catching Roy Gerson stealing my gold compass. You don't get much excitement in those mines so as soon as I started brawling with Roy the whole damned mine seemed to join in.

Boss gave a choice. I either come to his mine in these god forsaken mountains or I find some new employment. Now I didn't find this to be fair, so I gave old Boss a piece of my mind about how he runs things and how I am not going anywhere.

That night I was packing up my possessions.

I'm not a family man, I have no wife or kids to leave behind, though I'm sure there's a bastard or two out there. I have never had much of anything besides mining nor can I do much else. So it wasn't very hard for me to clear out my things and begin my life in the Mojang. I guess one mine can't be much different from the rest. I left at daybreak.

In one day's time, I've managed to make half the journey. I kept to the main road knowing I had to find the old trading route that leads the mine. I found the road and continued the trek until nightfall. Not five steps from the path, I have made camp.

Dark is approaching now. I can barely see these words that I write, and it would be for naught without the fire's glow. I feel this will suffice for my first entry.

Now I must get some rest.

_Day 2_

I fear I may be in trouble.

I write this in hope that it will jog my memory and I can find my bearings.

I woke early feeling well rested. I ventured down the road until the sun was directly overhead. Only knowing that I needed to find a bridge.

I began to grow weary. my legs had become sore and my back ached from the weight on my back. As I had all my possessions over my shoulder in a burlap sack. Only my picke-axe, which was fastened to my belt, gave me no grief. Nonetheless, I longed for horse or mule to lessen the burden. If I was a younger man I could of made the walk with no qualms, but I am not.

I found the bridge. Or should I say, what remained of a bridge. The land was separated into two halves with a raging river more than forty feet below. The bridge must have been used for the traders in order to cross such a river. Now all that remained was two ends with the middle of the bridge being entirely absent.

Even if I could have crossed the river, I saw no way down to the river or even a way out of it.

Something had completely demolished the bridge. Judging from the craftsmanship of the two renaming ends, I could tell this was no flimsy bridge. The mine in the Mojang was new and the bridge must have been maintained. No storm of force could of taken it out in such a way.

I then noticed something peculiar. On both of the jutting remainders of the bridge, then ends were charred and burned. Spying around I had also found charred pieces of bridge in wood.

It's also though the bridge had had actually exploded. No different then if someone had taken TNT and blown the middle of the bridge clear into nothing. Maybe someone did for all I know, but I don't know of any reason why.

Defeated, I followed the ridge along the river. Standing so close had me uneasy but I was desperate to find some means of crossing the river. I never came by a bridge but I did find something else.

It was a bone. It's not uncommon to find a bone in the woods but this one was odd. It was as white as snow and was entirely bare and fleshless. I have never found any bone in such a state, scavengers can clear the meat and erosion can help, but still it was strange to find one in such a pristine condition. Though the strangest thing of all, was that it was human.

This made me start feeling uneasy about my situation. It it true that these hills only real predator were wolves. But then there was also the stories.

Old miners loved to tell campfire tales about the Mojang Mountains. Such superstitions such as ghouls and demons. Some even said the large lakes even contained giant squids. The other miners and I would scoff at those tales. I still don't believe in such nonsense, but I got admit that after seeing the remainder of someone's leg, my mind begins to wonder.

While examining the strange bone, I heard a rustling in the forest. The moved was followed by a loud snort and a good sized pig trotted from the bush.

I was hungry. As my food was running low since I didn't plan on being on the road for more than a couple of days. So I took out my knife and crept towards the swine. Foolishly I thought I could catch it and it would make for a fine meal. Getting closer, I was not two feet away when the pig let out another snort and finally fled into the forest.

Then I made my biggest mistake, by giving chase through the woods. I thought I almost had it a few time but the pig gave me a good race. Eventually I became too winded and couldn't take another step. I caught my breath and the swine escaped into the forest.

Once the excitement warned off I realized the gravity of my situation. I have no idea where I was or how to get back to the ledge. Worst of all I had left everything behind except for what was on my person. This left my journal, ink, knife and pick-axe. I wouldn't of even had this diary if not for me placing into the inside of my coat.

I must have been writing longer than I expected. The sun is now setting and I'm just as loss as I was before. I don't even have a fire started yet. Tomorrow I shall try to find some tracks or signs that can at least lead my back to my things. I better put this down and get started on that fire.

I'm beginning to wish Boss would have just fired me.


	2. Chapter II

_Day 3, Dusk_

I can barely write, the shock of what just occured has literally shaken me. I do not know if I have truly gone insane, but the fear of insanity is not nearly as strong as my fear that this is reality. I shall start from the beginning.

After last night's entry, I began to make camp. I had a fire going so I felt some rest might serve me well,

As I began to drift off, I heard rummaging in the woods. At first I thought it was that filthy pig, who had come for round two. I would prove wrong.

The noise noise continued and I went to investigate. When I veered into the darkness, I found two bright red eyes staring at me.

Even then, I knew those eyes belonged to no man. My mind couldn't comprehend what my eyes were witnessing. In the midst of the pitch black forest, the two develish eyes appeared to be glowing in midair.

I must admit: Though I may be a stocky and often fearless man, things unknown can chill a man to his core.

Despite my fears, I knew I must confront my visitor. I grabbed a healthy branch from the fire to create a torch. With the light in hand I loomed closer to the motionless eyes. What I found was a gruesome spectacle indeed.

The eyes belong to an awful abomination. Some kind of spider beast. The arachnid stood up to my knees, and was no smaller than a dog. The entire cretaure was coated in a dark fur. The only thing bare was the eight rough black legs pertuding from it's thorax. The head was a host to two dozen red blinking eyes. These formed the red glares that had been watching me. The worst was the two slimy talons that served as the spider's pincers. They moved spastically in my direction.

The spider let a out a harsh screech. In an instant, the monster launched towards me. I had no time to react.

Overcomed by the force of the spider, I was tackled to the forest floor. The spider had me pinned by it numerous legs, and I struggled to get out of it's grasp. The spider's pincer clawed at my face while my thrashing barely fought him off. It's bright red eyes were not but a a few inches from my own.

I managed to gain some leverage and pulled myself to my feet. With enough force I was able to rip the spider away from my person. Having seized the horor, the legs spazzed against my hold on their host. It continued to fight but I managed to heave the creature into my fire.

The spider shrilled in agaony and writhed in the hot coals. Falling out of the fire, the monster caught it's footing and scurried away from the fire pit.

Engulfed in the flames, the spider made another lunge for me.

I expected such an attack and raised my torch as a means to defend myself.

He jumped high and true, and with terrific speed. But I was ready this time. Just as he landed, I used his momentum to catch him through the burning end of the torch, impaling the spider. In the furiosity of the moment, I held the skewed beast and raised him to heavens in triumph. I then thrusted the dying spider into the fire. The thing shrilled and kicked but I stood true untill all signs of life of the creaure had ceased.

Expecting more the hellsih spiders, I realed in preperation. I stood, panting, covered in the blood and puss of the creature. I have no idea how long I just stood staring, spying the darkness for movement of the next intruder.

The forest remained still.

By Gods!, the old folks were right! Make no mistake, I know that I am sane. Hours later as I am writing this I can still see the defated spider, cremating in the fire. The smell is atrocious.

I can feel the other demons in these hills, watching me.

Please Gods, have mercy. I remain lost in this devil's dominion.


End file.
